Grass Stains and Leather
by MorgieSan
Summary: Time for a bike ride through the country. Rated T.


Disclaimer: Not mine.

Notes: A bit of a departure from what I normally write, but I saw this really cute guy in class wearing a motorcycle jacket yesterday, and I was like, "Hey, Morgan, you've yet to read a motorcycle Castle fic, fix that." So while it may exist, I haven't found it yet. Anyway, enjoy?

* * *

"Come on, Castle," Beckett stood and grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair.

He obediently stood, and grabbed his as well, "Where are going?"

"You deserve a reward after a day like today," she strode toward the elevator, shadow in tow.

"A reward?" his lecherous smile appeared.

"Mind out of the gutter, and yes. You've been through hell today," she pressed the call button.

"Do I at least get a hint?"

"No," she stepped in and waited for him.

"Hmmph," but he followed.

"No whining," she exited the elevator after it hit the first floor and headed to her car. She stopped at the driver's side and looked over, "We need to stop by your loft first."

"Why?" he ducked into the passenger seat.

"So you can change. Blue jeans, do you have a more fitted jacket?" She climbed in to her seat.

"Plenty."

"That aren't suit jackets?"

"I have an old leather coat."

"That'll do," she started the car and drove him over to the loft, "Make it fast."

Within ten minutes he was back in the car, and buckled, "Do I get a hint now?"

"No," she drove to her apartment, "Stay in the car, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Rather than risk his reward Castle stayed put. Beckett was pleasantly surprised by this, and let him know it, "So, you _are_ capable of staying put. You have no excuse now."

Castle was rendered a little speechless by the tight fitting jeans and the even tighter leather jacket she was wearing, "Yes."

"Close your mouth Castle, flies are getting in," she started up the engine after he shut his mouth, and peeled off towards the north.

They made idle chat as they left the city behind, but Curious George finally reared his head again, "Beckett, do I get to find out where we are going yet?"

"No," she exited the freeway, "well, yes, we're going to my Dad's house."

"I get to meet Papa Beckett?" Castle hit age ten.

"No, he is out of the state, visiting relatives," Kate replied entering the neighborhood.

"Oh," Castle was his age again.

"Maybe one day Castle," she turned into the driveway, "right now," she parked and exited the car, "we have other things to do."

"Beckett..."

"Mind. Out. Of. The. Gutter."

"Okay," he made a show of zipping his lips and watched her backside as she went up to key in the code to open the garage door.

"Quit staring at my ass," she never looked at him, she just smiled to herself and entered the garage.

"So what are we doing here then, Becks?"

"Don't call me that," she replied as she grasped the edge of the tarp and pulled it back. It revealed a shiny blue Harley Softail, and an audible gasp from Castle.

"I get to see you ride the motorcycle?"

"No, we are going for a ride," she tossed him a helmet and he barely caught it, "and you will _not_ be driving."

"I can live with that," he popped the helmet on and his mind hopped right into the sewers.

"No funny business either," she put her own on and grabbed the keys off the hook by the door that connected the garage to the rest of the house.

"None, Scout's honor," he held up his fingers.

"You were never a boy scout," she straddled the bike.

"Never too late to start," he let his eyes travel the length of her body before he looked her in the eye, "You were right. I never would've survived seeing a photo of you on this bike, I think I've already had one heart attack seeing it in person."

"Get on the bike."

"Yes ma'am," he climbed on behind her and struggled to figure out where to place his hands.

Kate sighed and grabbed the hands that were tentatively resting on her hips. With a sharp tug, she pulled him forward and against her back, she wrapped his arms around her and started the bike, "I mean it Castle," she yelled over the roar, "If you try anything, I'm stranding you in upstate New York."

"I'll be good," he yelled back. He squeezed her tighter as she kicked up the stand and rolled the bike down the incline of the driveway and into the road. She lowered the door from the remote on her keyring.

She rolled down to the nearest stop sign, "When we stop, you need to put your legs down too, to keep us steady. When we take off, you pull them up, and keep them up."

"Got it!" He looked down at his dangling legs, and found a place that looked like it was meant for resting feet.

"Here we go," the bike lurched forward and he drew his feet up, she left hers down until she got enough speed on the bike, then pulled hers up too. She kept the speed down to coasting until they were out of the neighborhood, and heading up on a two lane country road.

"Keep your mouth shut, Castle. Flies really will get in!" She opened the throttle, and let the bike speed up. As she neared the speed limit on the curvy road, she backed off the acceleration and concentrated more on the driving, and the way that it felt to be wrapped in Castle's arms. She drove them out further and further into the country. They passed by farms, corner stores, grazing cows, a few pop-up neighborhoods. The further they went the less there was, and she finally pulled off the road into a dirt patch by a rusted old gate. He guessed they'd probably traveled a total of 60 miles.

"I was good, don't leave me," he immediately let go and dropped his feet to steady the bike with her.

"Relax, Castle," She kicked open the stand and cut the engine. She pulled the keys out, and got off, bringing her backside very close to Castle.

He climbed off of the other side and stood well out of his arm's reach from her, and more importantly her arm's reach from him, "You're not dumping me here?"

She laughed, "No, I'm not dumping you here." She pulled her helmet off and sat it on the seat, she shook her hair out, "Just wanted you to see something."

"What is it?"

"Your reward, for not being a complete pain in my ass this last week. You were almost an adult. So I thought we might practice a little bit of positive reenforcement training."

"Instead of Pavlov's dog it's Beckett's Castle?"

"Something like that," she moved toward the gate and jimmied with the latch.

Castle sat his helmet behind hers and came to stand beside her, "I get to watch you break and enter? Criminal Beckett, I like it."

"It's only B&E if you don't have permission Castle," she popped the lock and forced the rusted old gate open with her shoulder and a grunt, "and I have permission."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that, and that were are being criminals."

She shot him a glare, and he immediately changed his tune to innocence. She walked a short path through the clump of trees and led him to a clearing beside a shallow creek. "My grandmother's house is just up that way," she pointed to the other side of the bank and up to the left, "I used to come up here every summer, and when I got big enough my mom or dad, or even grandmother would bring me down here to the creek to swim."

"We're going swimming?" Castle asked a little more trepidation than excitement in his voice.

"Hell no, it's too cold, and you're going to have to work a hell of a lot harder than one week of good behavior to get me in the water," she turned to face him, "I'm just peeling another layer of the Beckett onion for you."

Castle's smile turned warm, "You didn't have to do this."

She sank into the soft grass, and unzipped the jacket, "Probably not, but I just did."

He sat next to her, "Does Grandmother Beckett still live up there?"

"No," Kate plucked at the grass between them, "she passed when I was ten. And this wasn't Grandmother Beckett, she still lives in Utah, this was Grandmother Sills."

"I take it the property is still in your family then," he paused and at her slight nod he continued, "It seems like a lovely place to spend every summer," he bumped her arm with his own, and she looked up at him, "Thank you for sharing this with me."

"You're welcome," she leaned back in the grass, her hair fanning out under her, "Don't tell the boys."

"Are you kidding me? Why would I tell them? Don't answer that," he lay back next to her, "It goes no further than me. Not even to Nikki."

She turned her head to face him, "Thank you." She looked back up and closed her eyes, enjoying the quiet sounds of nature.

He smiled and absently reached for her hand. Neither of them noticed the gesture, so Kate didn't recoil and Castle didn't fear for his life. They lay there in the grass enjoying the warm spring evening.

"Is your dad in Utah?" He looked at her.

"Yeah," she turned to face him again.

"Who owns all of this now?" he tried to not get lost in her eyes.

"I do," she gave him a small, sad smile, "When she passed it went to my mother. Then I got it."

Castle rolled onto his side and placed his free hand on her cheek, "Who are you and where is Katherine Beckett?"

She laughed and pushed him away to sit up, "I'm still the same Detective Beckett who brought you up here."

"You never share with me, willingly," he sat and looked her in the eye again.

"I trust you, and this is the only way I can think to show you that. Lanie doesn't even know about this, and she is my best friend. I'm not one to share, you're right, but..." she trailed off searching for the right words.

He looked down to let give her the space she needed to find the words and noticed their intwined fingers, he immediately pulled them back, "I... sorry, I... uh I don't know when that happened. It wasn't funny business."

"Honesty is the best policy," she looked at him, "my mother taught me that."

Castle nodded, throughly confused by the fact that he was not dead and that she wasn't mad, ignoring completely the left turn the conversation just took.

"I don't use that philosophy with you. I keep you far away, just out of reach," she leaned forward and picked his hand back up, "From now on I'm going to be honest with you, unless you act like a four-year-old and piss me off. I'll just twist your ear for that."

"Duly noted," he looked down at their hands.

"Rick?"

His head jerked up at the mention of his first name, "Y-yes?"

Somewhere in the conversation they had ended up much closer than friends normally allowed. She was very close to his face, and she leaned in to close the small distance between them. She met his lips in a very tentative kiss. When he began to kiss back she snaked one hand into his hair and the other around his neck to pull him closer.

Castle took this as permission to deepen the kiss. He slid one hand to her face, and the other around to the back of her neck. He thought he was going to die when he felt the tip of her tongue touch his lips. Parting his lips he noted quite joyously that he was now making out with his dream girl. After that the kissing was all about the aggression.

They sat there, tongues dueling for dominance, for what seemed like hours to them. When they pulled apart breathlessly, she wasted no time in laying back into the grass and pulling him down over her, before diving back into their kissing she made one last attempt at being honest with him, "I liked that."

She was, of course, lying, she didn't like it. She loved it. Craved it. The need to be close to him was setting fire to the end of every nerve fiber in her body. A delicious feeling, she thought.

"I'm glad," he leaned back in to kiss her again. This time the kissing was more gentle, but no less explorative. Hands began moving, and he ran his up and down her arm, sides, and into the space between her jacket and the flimsy t-shirt she wore under it.

She managed to unzip his jackets and slid her arms around his back under it to pull him closer. She moaned when his lips slid from her mouth, down her neck, and to the spot behind her ear that drove her insane. Castle, being the observer he is, noticed, and latched onto it. The more attention he paid to it the less coherent her own thoughts became. She arched her back into him, and moaned again as the desire made her head swim.

Castle backed off and moved back along her jawline to her mouth, "God, you are beautiful," he breathed before clamping back down on her mouth.

She felt the flush on her cheeks, but could not decide what was causing it. She caught his lower lip between her teeth and gave hit a tug. He fell in closer to her, and she grabbed handfuls of his shirt to keep him there. Her leg wrapping itself around his side was just an extra security measure. She used the leverage to pull him flush against her, and smiled through the kissing as he groaned.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he pulled away to breath again. "Scratch that, you are," he answered his own question when he saw her laying there, chest heaving, eyes glassy and laden with desire, and lips swollen.

She grinned, "So, Mr. Castle, was it a good reward?" She freed one of her hands and used the fingers to trace the outline of his jaw.

"I'm ruined for life," he turned his face to kiss her palm, "No other rewards will do."

"I'd like to make a habit of rewarding you then," she focused her attention on the buttons of his shirt, when she realized she was willing them to unbutton she shifted her gaze slightly to the left so all she saw was grass.

"Are you asking me out?" he turned her face up to his.

She bit her lip and set her resolve, "No. I think we're probably past 'dating'," she made finger quotes as she said dating, "I'm saying I would like to be your girlfriend."

"I can still take you out on dates though right?"

"Yes," she answered quietly still waiting on him to accept the idea.

"Best," he kissed her soundly, "Girlfriend," he kissed the hollow of her neck, "Ever," he breathed into her ear before moving to his new favorite discovery. With the little bit of control she still had she flipped them over and sat straddle of him.

"Best? Really?" she cocked her head to the side and leaned forward enough to rest her palms on his chest. Her long hair fell to the right and he decided that she had never been more beautiful to him.

"Really," he raked his fingers through her hair and tried to pull her down to him.

She resisted, and ground her hips into him. She smiled smugly when his eyes slipped shut and he groaned. She slipped her jacket off and waited for him to open his eyes, "Tell me something," she leaned forward and placed both of her forearms on either side of his head, "have you ever," she kissed her way along his jaw to his ear, "taken advantage of an unarmed cop on the banks of a creek?"

"Huh?" he lost the ability to respond at two milliseconds after her teasing began.

She sat up and then yanked him to a sitting position. She peeled her shirt over her head, and then kissed him roughly. Her fingers began deftly unbuttoning his shirt, and she pushed both the shirt and jacket off his shoulders. She locked eyes with him, "Do you understand the question now?"

"Oh, yes," he unhooked her bra, "I'm on this train now."

"Glad we cleared that up," she started nibbling her way up and down his neck.

"Wait... wait," he pushed her back far enough to look her in the eyes again. He kissed her gently on the lips, "Before this happens you need to know something."

She rested back on his knees, desire forgotten for now, "What is it?"

"I love you. I think I probably have since the day you brought me to the precinct for the Tisdale case. Of course I never knew how to show you that, I probably still don't," he rambled on, "I love you though. I'm in love with you. I've never met anyone like you, and it blows my mind on a daily basis that you haven't killed me. The only relationships I've ever had that lasted longer than this thing with us, is Alexis and my mother. I know that these words aren't doing any just-"

Kate shut him up with a kiss, "You talk too much. I love you too."

"I have a gift with words."

"Well, right now, I'm sitting in your lap half-naked in a secluded little corner of New York State, and I want your mouth otherwise occupied," she slid her bra down her arms and began her oral assault on his neck once again.

Several hours later they both lay in the grass panting, it was getting dark and they knew they needed to get dressed, "You were, once again, right, I had no idea."

She turned to him lazily, "Of course I was... What was I right about?"

"It was great," he gently kissed her, and pulled himself up to a seated position before the temptation got to him, again.

"Yes, it was," she sat up and began searching for some of her clothing.

"Here," he tossed her underwear to her, and started searching for his own clothing too.

"Got your shirt," she balled it up and tossed it over.

"Hey, there's my boxers," he grabbed them from the bush they were hanging on and put them on.

"Do you see my other shoe?" She was in her underwear and bra, sliding her jeans back up her legs.

Castle watched the material slide up the six miles of legs the woman had. "No," he finally managed, before turning his focus back to putting clothes _on._

She tugged her shirt on, and began rooting around for the rest of her stuff, "If you find it let me know."

"I will," he located his jacket and pulled his phone out, "Here," he opened the flashlight app and tossed it to her.

"Thanks," she shined the light around, and grabbed her jacket when the light reflected off of the zipper.

"Oh, got your shoe!" He held up the boot and his jeans triumphantly.

"Thanks," she met him and traded him for the boot. A phone and a kiss, it seemed fair. Finally fully dressed she helped him find his shoes. He was half dressed when she found his shoes. She brought them over and held the phone while he tied them.

"Is that everything?" he asked standing.

"I think so," she kissed him and slid the phone into his pocket.

He gave her one more scorching kiss before allowing her to lead them back to the bike, "Am I only the person you've ever brought up here?"

"The only one," she looked at him seriously, "ever."

"I didn't mean it like that," he kissed her forehead, "I was just wondering if you ever brought friends up for parties, you were a self-proclaimed wild child weren't you?"

"No one," she replied, "Not friends, not boyfriends, not dates. You are the only person who I've ever brought up here. Even if I was a wild child."

"I think you've grown into a wild adult," he climbed onto the back of the bike after placing his helmet on his head.

"Only where it counts," she bent and kissed him one last time before their long ride home, she put her own helmet on and looked at him seriously, "We're both going to be very sore in the morning."

"After _that_ workout, I'd say, duh."

She swatted his shoulder, "Not to mention the bike. What do we tell the boys?"

"I say you wear a turtleneck, and I don't show up," he reached out and lightly brushed his fingers over the hickey he'd managed to give her. The moonlight illuminated them just enough for him to see its faint outline.

"Then they'll really be suspicious," she sat on the bike in front of him and slid the key into he ignition, and smiled when he pressed his chest to her back and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"How about the truth?"

"You really want to tell them we had sex by a creek...several times? We'll never hear the end of it," she shook her head.

"The omitted truth, just that we went for a motorcycle ride."

She shifted some so she could see him over her shoulder, "They'll never buy it."

"You can put the fear of God into them, and those two respect you a little bit more than you seem to think. If you choose to tell them that we are together, and then ask them not to tease you about it, they won't," he snuggled into her back more, "Me, they'll lord it over me forever, but they'll let it slide with you."

"That's what you get for not dropping the Honeymilk thing," she shifted back to the front of the bike.

"Hey, the boys being good brothers is a small price to pay if it means you're mine, and you teased him about it too."

"Never to his face," she started the engine and rocked the bike forward off the kick stand. They rode back to her father's house in silence, but very content. The ride back seemed to take less time than the ride there, and when she pulled up she was surprised to see her dad's car parked next to hers.

"I do get to meet Papa Beckett!" he hopped off the bike after she pulled into the garage.

"Yes, and you get to explain the hickey," she hung up the keys and covered the bike back up. She went to the car, and popped the trunk. Rooting around she found a small make-up bag, and set to fixing her appearance as best as she could.

"Here," he held the small mirror for her, "He's not going to hurt me is he?"

"Doubtful," she smiled at him and took the mirror back.

"Not gonna try and cover it up?"

"You don't want me to wear my badge with honor?" She teased, "It's too dark to try and cover it up, and your handy little flashlight wouldn't be helpful."

"Right," he sat on the lip of the open trunk and watched her.

She tidied up her little section of personal items and sat next to him, "We can't go in if you're going to sit in the trunk."

He leaned over and kissed her, "I know, I just needed to make sure that I didn't dream any of what just happened."

She twisted his ear and let go when yelled apples, "Satisfied?"

"Very," he rubbed his ear and stood up.

"Poor baby," she got up sand closed the trunk. "Ready?"

"Yep," he grabbed her hand and she took him back through the garage to the door. She opened it and stepped inside.

"Dad?" she slid her boots off by the mat and sat them aside.

"Katie? I thought that was your car," she heard a chair push back on the hardwood, and his steps as he entered, "How are... You didn't wreck did you?"

"No, why?" she stepped further inside to allow Castle in, "Take your shoes off."

"You're both... No, you know what, I don't need to know," he put his hands up and walked back in to the kitchen, "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Kate looked down at her jeans, she was a grass stain, her jacket had a few smudges of mud on it, "I'm fine."

"I don't need anything either sir," Castle sat his other shoe with its mate and straightened back up.

"Don't just stand there," he walked back by the door with a coffee mug, and Castle shut the door behind him as he and Kate followed. They sat on the couch and he took a seat in the chair. He looked them both over carefully, and then spotted it. His eyes quickly darted back to Castle, "Katie, would you go check the oven for me."

She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen, she pulled the fridge open and got out a pudding cup. The oven wasn't even on. She sat on the counter eating and listening while the boys talked in the other room.

Castle's audible gulp almost broke Jim Beckett's stern face. Almost. "Did you give her that?"

"Yes," Castle replied meekly.

"Where did you two go on your little ride?"

"To her grandmother's property."

Jim nodded, "Do you love my daughter?"

"As much as I love my own, sir," Castle answered with conviction.

Jim nodded again, "She speaks highly of Alexis, and of you."

"Alexis is a good kid, as for me, it must've been some type of head trauma," Castle was good at humor, and he tried it here.

Jim chuckled lightly, "What are your intentions?"

"Sir, I would very much like to be her one and done," he and Jim both turned when they heard the pudding cup make a splat sound on the floor in front of Kate. She quickly jumped off the counter to clean it up.

Jim stuck his hand out, "She deserves to be happy, and you do that. I'm glad you both got your heads out of your asses before I got too old."

"Thank you sir," Castle shook his hand.

"You can come back in, Katie," Jim called over his shoulder.

She cleaned the last of the pudding up, and rinsed out the rag. After a steadying breath she made her way back into the living room and sat next to Castle. "That was mean, Dad."

"It's my right to interrogate the boys you bring home."

"Alexis wouldn't let me interrogate her boyfriend."

"You're a pushover, that's why."

"Psh, whatever," he defended.

Jim shook his head, "I don't want you getting my couch any dirtier, it's late and dark. Go home."

Kate checked her watch, "I guess so," she stood and hugged her dad, "I love you. I'll call you soon."

"I'll hold you to that," he hugged her back, "be careful."

"Thanks," she moved back into the anteroom they entered into and put her boots on.

"Nice to meet you, Jim," Castle stood and extended his hand to shake one more time.

"You too, finally. Take good care of my little girl, because if you don't I will hunt you down," Jim Beckett was dead serious.

"She would kill me before you ever got a chance to, and I have no intention of _ever_ hurting her; she's way too important to me."

Jim grabbed his hand and shook, "I'm glad we see eye to eye on this."

Castle entered the same room where Beckett had been and slid his shoes on. When he went out he noticed she was already in the car waiting for him. He climbed into his seat, and looked at her, "I think your Dad likes me."

"I know he does," she waved at her dad and put the car in reverse.

"I think you heard everything we said."

"I did," she put the car in drive.

"I mean every word of it," he reached over and grabbed her hand.

"I know you do," she stopped at the sign, and leaned across the divider to kiss him. A few hours later she pulled up outside of his apartment, and looked over at him, "This could be awkward."

"Nah," he kissed her one last time and tangled his fingers in her hair to make it last as long as possible.

"Go upstairs. See your family, take a shower. I'll see you in the morning."

He released her, "I'm taking you to dinner tomorrow night."

"I'd like that," she smiled at him, suddenly shy.

"I love you, Kate."

"I love you too, Rick," she watched him go in, and then took herself home. She had a date with her shower now.


End file.
